Just Watch
by not-that-fandom
Summary: The story about a boy with a difficult past and the angel who comes and fixes him.
1. Chapter 1

It was autumn and the flowers were dying.

It always went like this. Wonho would watch all through spring and summer, through his bedroom window, at the boy with dark side-swept hair. He could see, even in the dim hours of the evening, that tall elegant figure stooping down with small pots and bags of seeds and jugs of water. He watched the beautiful boy create an incredible, lively garden that buzzed with bees and ladybugs and butterflies. And every time Wonho saw that the trees in front of the coffee shop where he worked were beginning to yellow he knew that the garden would soon follow. And every year he would see, through his bedroom window, that beautiful boy picking up one of his smaller pots and touching the fading flowers. He had the boy's bittersweet expression committed to memory.

This year the wind and cold came late. It was the end of September before Wonho, while putting out food for his cat, noticed that his small willow tree, so plain compared to his neighbor's garden, was shedding its leaves. Immediately he left the can of Fancy Feast on his kitchen counter and strode to his bedroom window, an orange tabby slinking around his pale feet. He tugged the curtain aside, peering at the neighboring backyard.

The insects and birds had left a few weeks ago, leaving the usually humming garden quite silent. The boy was there. He wore loose clothes and he must have been cold, standing outside when the sun was obscured by a solid sky of clouds. His hair was messy, as if he had just woken up, even though it was three in the afternoon. As he watched, the boy ventured further into his backyard, giving Wonho a perfect view of his profile. _What a pretty creature,_ Wonho thought. The boy went around his garden, touching flower petals that were beginning to dry, running his hands down yellowing grape leaves, gazing up at the sunflowers that were beginning to droop. He wore a strange expression of pride and his lips were quirked up ever so slightly at the corners. With every stroke of his fingers, he seemed to say _Thank you for being here, I'll miss you._ He didn't wee Wonho through his window. He only walked slowly in a circle touching every plant. Wonho lost sight of him as the boy stooped down. He reappeared with a pot, small enough to fit the palm of his hand. The plant, which was dried out and yellow, looked like mint. The boy's eyes were tender. Wonho stayed there, at his bedroom window until the boy returned to his house, sliding the door shut behind him.

However much Wonho wanted to, he could never seem to finish a book. Let it be a book of poetry or an encyclopedia, he always put it down before he had reached even the midpoint. Even so, his desk was overlain with stacks of paper, each one with music notes or song lyrics or short, meaningless stories. He couldn't even use the desk to write. He laid out his slanted, cramped handwriting on paper using the kitchen table ended up dumping it on his desk in his room. He never looked at them again. It was less of a hobby and more of a habit. Even when he had nothing new to put down on paper, he would recall a tune or poem that he liked, and scrawled it onto a page, which, inevitably, would end up on that desk next to his bed. He wasn't even sure if he could recall what color the desktop was. He vaguely remembered it being black from when he first moved in. Maybe it was red, or yellow like that pretty boy's hair.

Wonho's cat, whose name was Kihyun, liked to follow dangerously close at his heels. Which is why, when Wonho returned home with a bag full of groceries, he yowled as he was almost kicked in the face as his owner went to the kitchen. Wonho apologized profusely as he started putting away his vegetables and Kihyun's cat food in the kitchen.

It had been a simple day for Wonho. He needed only to pick up his coat from the dry cleaners and restock his fridge. He considered renting a movie and curling up on his couch with hot chocolate. He _was_ quite skilled at making himself into the perfect cocoon of blankets. He looked at the still-miffed Kihyun.

"Do you wanna watch the Martian movie?" he asked. The cat glowered and stood, turning to give Wonho the perfect view of his butthole.

"Would you prefer to watch Hellboy?" he said sarcastically, but the feline only responded by stalking out of the kitchen, into the bedroom. Wonho strongly suspected that he would sleep on Wonho's chest tonight, just to annoy him.

"The Martian it is then," he muttered, getting his coat. It was November by now, and the cold wind could be cruel. However, the howling wind only made lying on the couch like the physical embodiment of laziness so much more enjoyable.

Wonho preferred to rent movies because he tended to accidentally click the wrong links on his laptop, usually downloading a virus as a result. Also, the quality of downloaded movies sucked. Or Wonho was just bad at using the internet. Either way, he found himself at the nearest redbox at the convenience store, getting a copy of The Martian. As he was paying with his card, he felt a presence behind him. He thought this was strange, because almost no one rents movies anymore but him. He took the movie quickly, wanting to let the person behind him use the machine. He turned around and found himself quite close with someone with full lips and gentle eyes.

"Oh sorry," the person said, stepping back. Evidently he had been looking over Wonho's head to see the selection of movies on the screen. Wonho smiled as best as he could, but even though the boy had stepped back, he was close enough so Wonho had to bend his head back to look at his face. Damn, he was tall.

"Sorry," he repeated. Wonho nodded and turned away. He recognized that person, of course. The person's tall stature, his lean figure, his long delicate fingers- they all screamed familiarity. Wonho decided against bringing that up. He could hear the boy fiddling with the machine as he left the store, his heart pounding.

He had a very full pantry. Always ready to make a strong cup of tea or coffee, or even home cooked, cat-friendly meals for Kihyun, Wonho always made sure that he had every cabinet fully stocked, even though he lived alone with Kihyun. He dug around for his cocoa powder and cinnamon and everything else you would need to make a badass mocha, having already set up his television and paused the DVD right before the movie would start. As the milk was warming up in the saucer, he washed out his favorite mug and set it on the counter. He shot Kihyun a warning look, as the cat was notorious for swatting shit off his counters. Kihyun only stared back with round green eyes. Wonho huffed, beginning to finish up making his comfort drink.

Wonho went to the couch and set down his cup next to the remote on the nightstand. He wrapped himself in blankets, layer after layer, until it became a bit difficult to move. He sat, propped up on the armrest and tried not to let the blankets fall apart around him when he reached for the remote and the mug. His place was quite dark, since it was almost nine at night. He unpaused the movie. Knowing he would be too comfortable to get up or pause the movie for any reason, he tossed the remote next to him, wrapping his fingers firmly around the warm ceramic cup. Kihyun jumped on the coffee table, and laid on his back, spread-eagle on top of the coasters, his eyes closing slowly. A content cat expression settled on his face, quite similar to Wonho's expression.

As it turns out, Wonho didn't watch the movie much at all. He stared at the bright screen, his eyes following the movements of the characters. But he realized, almost as soon as he turned his eyes away from Kiyhun's face to the television, that he had heard the pretty boy's voice for the first time today. For a whole hour until his eyes slipped shut he heard Pretty Boy's face in his head, heard the simple "Oh sorry" again and again, finally able to give a voice to the person he had watched care for a beautiful garden for over four years.

 **a/n**

new updates are coming! please let me know of any grammar mistakes or any holes in the plot


	2. Chapter 2

Wonho is covering for Minhyuk today, which is why he was in his damn apron at seven in the morning, when he would be up to his eyeballs in customers for the next two hours at least. He made cup after cup of peppermint lattes, contemplating all the while whether he would suffer second-degree burns from the amount of hot water and milk he was getting all over his hands. He lets Jooheon handle the register, knowing full well that he and Changkyun would be quite unpleasant towards the customers under of the stress of having so many. He would never get the cinnamon and dried eggnog from under his fingernails.

In short, Minhyuk owed him big time.

It wasn't the worst Wonho had been through though. Once, when they were a little short staffed and had too many customers, they simply made the same type of coffee for everyone no matter what the order actually was, to make things go faster. Remarkably no one had noticed. Wonho supposed that the customers were in a rush as well. Nevertheless, he had home with aching muscles and coffee grounds in his hair.

The shop he worked in was small, but tastefully decorated and popular for younger people, especially college students, to stay and study or rendezvous. They were located across the street from the main entrance to the college, so there would be people pouring in at all hours. They even had crowds come in around dinnertime. Wonho felt like the students had no concept of time and when it as appropriate to drink ungodly amounts of cappuccino.

Wonho felt indescribable relief when he saw Minhyuk's blonde dead bobbing through the crowd. He came around the counter, with a toothy smile that Wonho could not return.

"How are things?" the blonde asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Please just take the apron," Wonho said desperately, already fantasizing of going home.

"Can do." Minhyuk reached around Wonho untied the knot holding up the apron Wonho wore and took it for himself, officially relieving him of his responsibilities as a barista. He felt something being pressed into his hand.

"Thanks for covering for me," Minhyuk said, giving him a grateful look. Wonho took the money without a word. It was an unspoken agreement among the employees here, because they were all too lazy to go to Shonwu to talk about payment for working overtime: Just pay each other back when they cover for you. The manager was hard to talk to anyways; he had such a robotic way of speaking.

Wonho took his coat and hurried out as quickly as he could, exiting through the back as to not have to shove his way though the sea of people. He wondered why Minhyuk couldn't make his shift today, as he pulled the coat tighter around himself. The cold air bit at his exposed skin, and would soon render his nose red and numb. The trees that ran down the side of the sidewalk were bare and the ground was littered with dead leaves. It was December.

He lived close to the coffee shop, less than ten minutes away if he walked quickly. But he liked how he could hear leaves rustling under his feet and he could see people, couples especially, walking like he was, enjoying a day without wind.

So he walked slowly, staring at an endless grey sky and listening to the sounds that signaled the beginning of yet another winter.

It took half an hour to get home. He threw a glance at his neighbor's house, a short structure with red brick walls. It looked like it would have belonged to a little old lady, but he knew who really lived there.

It was strange, really. He had never, not once seen the boy leave through his front door. Never had Wonho had the pleasure of saying "Good morning" to someone he's lived next to for years. At this point, he felt it would be awkward to go up and just knock, to say hello, how are you, I've lived here for almost five years and I have never met you before in my life. Well, not properly anyway.

Wonho looked away, unlocking his own door and closing it behind him. Kihyun came up to him and purred, rubbing against his ankles as if trying to warm him up. Wonho left his coat on the hook. He planned on relaxing for the rest of the day, recovering from his rather hectic morning at work. He considered cooking for Kihyun- it's been a while since he had gotten the chance to do that.

But first, he would rest. Heaving a sigh, he laid down right where he was on the living room floor. Kihyun slumped carelessly onto his side and curled up with his back against Wonho's stomach, nuzzling his nose into his own orange fur. This was a common position in their household. Wonho encircled his cat with his arm, careful not to jostle him too much. The young boy lay there with his eyes open but unseeing, and his mind swirled through visions of sunlight filtering through leaves and steam coming off warm winter drinks and of a pair of gentle brown eyes. His eyes slipped shut without him realizing it. They fell asleep.

It was four in the morning when Kihyun started cleaning himself. The movement of Kihyun licking his paws brought Wonho back from his sleep, making his eyelids flicker and his body shift a tiny bit. Kihyun kept moving, cleaning first himself and then Wonho, licking his hands and face. The feeling of the cat's sandpaper-like tongue against his lips was enough to wake him. He sat up, feeling the familiar ache in his muscles from sleeping on the floor. He watched Kihyun continue cleaning his hands for a minute, blinking his eyes blearily and sweeping his hair from his eyes.

"Yah, what did you wake me up for?" he mumbled. Kihyun looked at him with round eyes, dilated in the dim room. Wonho hadn't turn on any lights when he came home.

Wonho felt a yawn rising to his mouth and he stifled it with his hand. He hadn't expected to sleep this long. He missed a whole day's worth of activity. He got up to shower and change into more comfortable stay-at-home clothes. The cat didn't follow, preferring to jump onto the couch and resume napping. He slept through the sounds of running water and Wonho's shower singing. It wasn't an uncommon sound to the cat, especially at four in the morning.

It was Hyungwon's longest ever nap. The clock read 3:00 am. Though his cognitive functions were sluggish at the moment, he managed to perform the simple calculation in his head. He had been asleep for twenty-two hours. Which meant he had not taken a "nap," but rather had been in a minor coma. He didn't move, doing nothing but blinking slowly into the darkness of his little living room. It was quite silent, and he hated it. He would always wake up expecting the chirp of crickets or birds, or the buzz of the honeycomb in his yard. Winter was always when Hyungwon slept the longest, because of the absence of nature's song. Not to mention he had no responsibility to his plants, because they would not come back to life again for another three months at least.

He sat up, gritting his teeth. The tender pain of a long sleep was ever-present in his back and neck. He bowed his head and closed his eyes, sitting cross-legged and hunched over. His blankets seemed to not retain his body heat. He shuddered in the cool air of his house. He should really get his heater fixed.

He wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, not after a nap that long. Hyungwon racked his mind for something to do. He didn't have a job to go to, he didn't have a pet to care for, and he didn't have responsibilities. This is why he hated winter. It felt like the only thing that needed him were those flowers. But he couldn't save them all from winter, he could only nurse them back to health when the warmer seasons came, as nature intended it to be.

If he had cable he might have turned on his outdated television and watched the news or something. Or he could have read a book, if he hadn't read and re-read every novel in his house ten times over. He might get on the internet again to waste a few more days of his life, but one could only read so many dating scandal articles about people one has never heard of or cared about. Then he remembered that he had lost his glasses ages ago and had been living a blurry life for a few weeks now. Whatever.

Hyungwon's mind went to Christmas. Perhaps he would try putting up decorations. His house looked like a fairytale's cottage from the outside, and he imagined a few Christmas lights would complement it quite well. The previous owners of the house had left boxes of Christmas lights in the garage. Because of his perpetual laziness, they had been untouched by Hyungwon for years. But now Hyungwon's mind was restless, and he needed something to do. He got out of bed, planting his feet gingerly on the cold floor. Hyungwon took his retainer from his mouth as he walked to the bathroom to clean himself up.

The only sound in the night was Hyungwon's long stream of profanities flowing smoothly from his mouth. His sharp eyebrows were furrowed, his eyes burned with irritation. He had lost feeling in his toes. Even bundled tightly in the puffiest jacket he owned, he still shivered. His gloved fingers fumbled with the unlit lights. He wobbled on the ladder upon which he was positioned, trying to fasten the wire along the edge of his roof. The light offered by his travel-sized flashlight proved ineffectual, since he was still nearly blind in the early-morning darkness.

"Ha!" he made a noise of triumph when he finally managed to fasten the first part of the wire, and then grimaced at the fact that he still had to get the rest of the roof done. He took the next small section in his hand and leaned over to try to clip it to the edge of the roof a little farther down. "Come on, dammit."

Hyungwon was not very coordinated. And considering how little feeling he had in his extremities from the cold, and how dark it was, even he wasn't surprised when he slipped.

Hyungwon yelled anyway as he felt the ladder topple beneath him. He fell with it, his body landing on the hard metal bars of the ladder. He cried out again when he felt it cut into his skin. Blood began to soak the thin fabric of his pants. He laid there with his eyes open, the lower half of his body elevated since it was still on top of the fallen ladder. The morning dew on the ground dampened his hair. He wondered if he had woken any of his neighbors with his yell. He wondered if he was able to move, or if he had broken his spine or something. He tried shifting his uninjured leg and felt a rush of relief when he heard the creak of the ladder coincide with his movement.

He considered laying there until the sun came up, not wanting to injure himself further by stumbling around in the darkness. He wasn't sure where his flashlight was. Then he heard a door opening from somewhere behind him, accompanied by a young man's voice.

"Um, hello?" The person sounded hesitant. "Is someone there? Did you fall?"

Hyungwon didn't answer the inquiries, barely able to feel his lips at this point. He did try sitting up though, his lips forming a tight line and his eyebrows furrowing at the pain clawing its way up his body. Footsteps made their way towards him, followed by the sound of that boy hopping their fence. A weak flashlight illuminated the ground.

"What happened?" Hyungwon turned his head far enough to the side for his neighbor to see half his face. The boy circled around him, stopping at where the ladder was. When he didn't answer, the boy added, "My name's Wonho."

This was clearly an invitation for Hyungwon to talk. Sheepishly, he said, "I, uh, fell while putting up Christmas lights."

He realized how unnecessary that statement was, and how stupid it sounded after he said it. Of course this boy, Wonho, knew what had happened. The scene itself was probably quite self-explanatory. He shook off the embarrassment, focusing instead on his savior's face. Though it was barely visible in the feeble, artificial light from Wonho's phone, Hyungwon could see the faint outline of a slightly sharp jaw and protruding ears. If he squinted, he could see the gleam of dark eyes and hair. He was snapped out of his reverie by the sound of the other boy's voice. "Do you need help? Like, getting back to your house or something?"

Hyungwon didn't have bandages in his house. He cursed at his own irresponsibility. He only bought small boxes of band-aids in the spring when the roses started growing thorns again. He hated having to ask this, but the spreading warmness of his own blood was starting to concern him.

"Can you give me gauze or bandages or something?" he asked rather bluntly. He added, "My leg got cut."

"Yeah, of course !" Wonho sounded eager to help. The flashlight disappeared. Hyungwon was about to ask what he was doing when he felt sturdy arms snaking under both his legs and around his back. He yelped, the ground disappearing from beneath him.

"Hold onto my neck, I don't want you falling," Wonho ordered. Hyungwon obliged, but hesitantly. His head grazed the boy's hair, and he was startled at the flecks of water that dripped down onto his shoulders. He could feel Wonho's muscular chest even through his ridiculously puffy jacket, and he imagined how strong he must be.

Wonho couldn't jump over the fence with Hyungwon in his arms, so they had to go around. Hyungwon turned the handle of the gate for Wonho, pushing it open for the both of them. Wonho walked little way down the sidewalk to his home next door. He hadn't closed his door when he went to help Hyungwon, so it stood ajar, swaying slightly in the cold wind. He heard the meow of a cat when Wonho stepped inside and closed the door with his foot.

"You didn't have to carry me," Hyungwon mumbled sheepishly, suddenly realizing how heavy his 5'11" ass must be.

"That's bullshit, I can feel how much your leg is bleeding."

Hyungwon felt himself being placed carefully on what felt like a couch before Wonho turned on the lights. Hyungwon recoiled, blinking stars from his eyes. He finally got a good look at Wonho, and had to blink hard to convince himself he wasn't hallucinating. The boy, or rather, the _angel_ was full bodied and had pale skin that contrasted starkly against black hair. Even though he was just wearing loose flannel pants and a T-shirt, he looked extraordinary. He wondered how long this person had been living next door.

Wonho went into another room and returned quickly with an armful of gauze and scissors and cleaning materials. He sat down next to Hyungwon, who had to tear his eyes away from the other boy's face to focus on his leg, which was still bleeding profusely. Wonho shifted uncomfortably, gripping the scissors. "I think I need to cut off your pant leg."

"Don't worry about it," Hyungwon assured him. "They're kinda ruined anyway."

Wonho nodded. He proceeded to slowly snip away at the fabric, so slowly that Hyungwon told him to hurry up. Wonho slipped the tube of bloodstained cloth off his leg, exposing a nasty gash. Hyungwon took it and wiped away blood that threatened to drip onto Wonho's hardwood floor. Hyungwon examined the wound with interest. It was deep, but not so deep as to show the yellowish fatty tissue deep under his skin. The bleeding had subsided somewhat but it continued well up with blood and drip, making Hyungwon keep wiping away trails of blood staining his skin.

"Close your eyes, you must be nauseous." Hyungwon thought Wonho sounded more sick than himself.

"I'm okay. I don't mind blood," he replied. He reached for the antiseptic but Wonho snatched it before he could get to it. He proceeded to spray down the damaged skin. Hyungwon found that he didn't mind the sting of it either. Wonho loosely wrapped the cut in gauze and tied it off very neatly, leading Hyungwon to believe that the other boy had some kind of first aid training. "Thanks."

"No problem." He seemed less ill now that the wound was cleanly dressed. He wiped away smears of blood from his arms. "Does it hurt?"

Truthfully, Hyungwon hardly felt anything in his leg at all. He was, however, delighted by the other boy's presence. But it seemed inappropriate to say as much, so instead he just nodded. Wonho's lips pouted in response and he reached out to rub his back in a soothing manner. Hyungwon thought this was an awful lot of affection for someone he had just met. Even so, he closed his eyes at the touch, despite the fact that he could hardly feel the pressure through his jacket. They sat there in silence for a minute until Wonho seemed to realize that he was acting strange and withdrew his hand. Hyungwon held back a sound of protest and looked at Wonho. Wonho flashed an awkward smile, dazing the other boy momentarily. "Would you like to go home?"

Hyungwon thought he sounded more formal than before. Reluctantly, he began to stand, but winced almost immediately and plopped back down. Pain had shot up not only his leg, but up his back and neck.

"Sorry," he said, trying to stand again.

"Hey, hey!" Wonho reached out his hand and lightly pulled Hyungwon back down. "If it hurts to walk, don't even try. Just… stay on the couch. Stay here tonight."

The words came out rushed. Hyungwon was startled. He examined Wonho's face, trying to gauge his expression. His pale skin had flushed slightly when he made the offer, and he withdrew his hands, folding them in his lap. He shifted uncomfortably, avoiding Hyungwon's eyes. Wonho continued, fixing his eyes on a point above his shoulder. "If you're hurt, I mean. Stay for a while, at least until the sun comes up."

Of course Hyungwon wanted to say yes, but he was still slightly nonplussed at Wonho's unexpected hospitality. He decided to probe a little.

"How long have you lived here?" he asked, shrugging off his jacket. He wore a thick wool sweater under it that hid his thin frame, something that he was quite thankful for at the moment in the presence of Wonho's thick, muscular body.

"Around five years," he answered. "I moved here from up north."

"What do you do?"

"I work at the coffee shop across the street from the university. I'm taking a year off after getting my undergrad. I want to go back to school eventually." He paused. "What about you?"

Hyungwon never knew how to answer that. So he kept it simple. "I moved here from Korea eight years ago. Lived alone in that house ever since."

"Are you a student?" Wonho asked attentively.

"No. I'm not anything." He ignored Wonho's confused expression and pressed on. "How come I never see you?"

Then Wonho turned a pretty shade of pink and tried to hide it with his hand. "I never see you leave you're house either."

"But… you… seen me." Hyungwon said slowly, struggling to interpret Wonho's reaction. He couldn't help but find the abashed boy amusing. "Is that right?"

"I have seen you," Wonho confessed. "We… met once at the store. You were renting a movie."

"Oh." Hyungwon struggled to remember what movie he was talking about, and remembered that _Call of the Wild_ was abandoned and gathering dust under his couch. "Oh, I see. Ok."

"Ok what?"

"I'm taking you up on your offer," Hyungwon said shyly, somehow feeling more vulnerable knowing that the boy sitting next to him had met him and remembered his face. He felt frustrated that he couldn't say the same about Wonho. How could he forget a boy like this?

Wonho's face lit up and gave a short laugh, probably the liveliest sound Hyungwon had ever heard. He felt his face warm up and hastily pressed his hands to his cheeks, hiding his flush.

"You can stay as long as you like. I don't want you hurting yourself trying to live on your own while you're already all banged up." Wonho sounded upbeat and somehow not tired at all, despite how early in the morning it was. "I can get your clothes for you if you tell me where the key is."

Hyungwon told him which flowerpot he left his spare key under and watched as the boy disappeared out the door. He slumped back, sinking into the soft couch. He was bewildered at the situation, which was understandable considering this was the only human interaction lasting longer than two seconds he has had in over a year. The last time had been with a particularly chatty cashier. He suddenly realized how different living with another person taking care of him might be. Someone who might object to Hyungwon's sleeping pattern or even his eating habits. He was such a recluse, maybe even a hermit. Surely Wonho was some well-rounded, popular, intelligent university student. How could Hyungwon be a proper companion to him, even for a day or two? He became so panicked at the thought that he very nearly walked himself out the door. But then Wonho returned, out of breath and carrying what must have been half of Hyungwon's wardrobe. The pile of clothes towered almost over his head. Hyungwon heard Wonho grunt as he dumped the clothes into the armchair by the couch. Hyungwon looked down at himself, touching his tattered, bloodstained jeans and dirty black sweater. A hand held out a familiar pair of pajama pants and a long sleeved tee. He took the clothes without looking up. Wonho stood for a second, looking a Hyungwon's bowed head. He ran the clothes through his fingers, impatiently waiting for his moment of anxiety to pass. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at Wonho with a smile, the first one he's given anyone in a long time. The other boy responded with his own impish grin, and Hyungwon felt a tug at his heart for the first time since grade school. He attributed this to the inadequate amount of human contact he's had over the past few years.

"You should change into the clean clothes, ok?"

Hyungwon nodded and let Wonho turn his back before he began to lift up the hem of his shirt. He gasped at the sharp pain in his shoulders. Wonho tensed slightly, his head turning a bit to the side in worry. Hyungwon grit his teeth. _Just put on the clothes dammit._ He would be horrified if Wonho decided that his guest needed help putting on a set of pajamas. So he clenched his teeth and changed into his clothes with painful, jerky motions with Wonho standing just a few feet away. He noticed that Wonho had forgotten to hand him any underclothes so he simply went without them. It felt odd but not unpleasant to wear only one layer of clothing.

"You can turn around now," Hyungwon said, hoping his voice didn't sound too out of breath with pain. Wonho was right; he probably wouldn't be able to survive if he were all alone in his house.

The boy offered his own bed to Hyungwon, insisting with more vigor when his guest refused. Then he carried him into his bedroom himself, despite Hyungwon repeatedly smacking his arm and protesting. Wonho never failed to be careful, setting Hyungwon down in a sitting position on the edge of his bed.

"I literally just woke up an hour ago," Hyungwon complained. "I don't need sleep."

"It's not even five in the morning yet, aren't you tired?"

"I slept early. Really early. So no, I'm not tired.""

"What else can you do except rest?" Wonho retorted. "You can barely move without cracking a joint."

"I can handle pain," Hyungwon said. "I can't handle laying in bed awake for ten more hours."

That was a lie. Lying in bed for hours on end was Hyungwon's daily routine. But Wonho's presence, the fact that he wouldn't be more than a hundred feet from Hyungwon for the next few hours or until the sun came up at least, had the slender boy more restless than ever. Hyungwon thought that even if his host left him alone in the bedroom, he would still be able to sense Wonho through the walls.

He mused for a second, looking first at the shallow scratches on Hyungwon's collarbone and arms from the fall before raising his eyes to meet Hyungwon's. Then he gave a slight shrug and walked around the foot of the bed, sprawling down behind Hyungwon. The taller boy turned his head to look at Wonho, surprised.

"I'm not tired either." Wonho patted the pillow beside him. "I guess we can just hang out, or something."

"Hang out," Hyungwon repeated. He was going to hang out with the most charming person he had ever met in his life. Which isn't saying much, but still. Gently as he could, he drew up his legs onto the bed and lay down beside the other boy.

They were silent for a minute, getting a feel of the new, more intimate position. Hyungwon heard Wonho shift slightly and he turned his head to look. Wonho had an amused expression on his face. "This is strange isn't it?"

"Yeah. Yeah it is," Hyungwon murmured, loud enough for Wonho to hear.

Wonho laced his fingers behind his head and started humming. His eyes were now fixed on the ceiling. Hyungwon listened to his voice in silence, his eyes never leaving the other boy's face. Wonho changed the tone of his voice, singing a simple, common Christmas lullaby. Hyungwon let the song wash over him and suddenly realized he had opened his mouth to sing along and he snapped it shut quickly, his chest tightening. They didn't move again, not even when Wonho's voice cracked and his carols broke off into quiet breathing. The atmosphere was more comfortable than before. Wonho seemed lost in his own thoughts and didn't pay much attention to Hyungwon's eyes on him. Hyungwon wondered how long this could last, how long he would be able to bask in the presence of someone else. He wouldn't admit it, but he dreaded the moment Wonho would let him go back into his own frigid, terribly silent house. Again, he wondered what led the boy to be so affectionate to Hyungwon, who was practically a stranger.

Wonho left later, after the sun had come up. He had rolled out of bed after hours of silence, telling Hyungwon that he would be back at 4 in the afternoon. Hyungwon merely nodded and watched Wonho get changed into his barista outfit. Wonho, unlike Hyungwon, had no problem getting undressed in front of other people. And Hyungwon, unlike Wonho, didn't feel the need to look away when someone else, especially someone like Wonho, took off his clothes. Then again, looking away might have been a better idea. Even Hyungwon was taken aback at how his heart raced as if it were about to burst, his head turned to the side and his eyes trained on the other boy, taking in the sideways view of his body. He tried to control his expression and hoped his face wasn't noticeably red when Wonho turned around. Apparently the employees where he worked all wore a white button down and black pants. Hyungwon wondered if the uniform was as tight on his coworkers as it was on Wonho. He frowned, as if he had forgotten something important.

"Oh!" Wonho exclaimed, bringing his hand to his mouth. "You need breakfast. Give me a minute to make something."

Hyungwon quickly sat up, almost gasping again at the pain. "Oh no, wait! You don't need to; really- you've already done so much for me. I can microwave some ramen or something for myself-"

Wonho pointedly ignored Hyungwon and left the room. Hyungwon heard the clatter of pans and the sound of the fridge opening. He slumped his shoulders and sighed, defeated and frustrated. He had never been taken care of in this manner in his life. It felt strange, and Hyungwon was sure he was inconveniencing his host. He listened to the sounds of a knife against a cutting board and the stove being turned on. Hyungwon couldn't imagine what Wonho was preparing. He hadn't had a real meal in a long time.

Wonho returned with a huge tray within twenty minutes. Hyungwon's heart just about jumped into his throat. Not because of how perfectly laid out the tray was, but because the sight of Wonho, his sleeves carelessly rolled up and his hair falling into his eyes, wearing his goddamned barista clothes, holding a huge tray of food that _he_ cooked, would probably be burned into the inside of Hyungwon's eyelids for years to come.

Hyungwon crossed his legs carefully. Wonho leaned down, setting the tray where Hyungwon's legs had just been while looking up at Hyungwon to see his expression. He grinned at the look on his face. Hyungwon's eyes were darting all over the tray, his eyebrows raised in shock. Tall stacks of pancakes and syrup, two eggs that formed eyes with strips of bacon as a mouth, light brown, fluffy looking biscuits, a red mug of something topped with a few inches of whipped cream, salmon and avocado on English muffins- Hyungwon was close to tears with joy.

"You like it?" Wonho straightened up flicking his hair back and giving Hyungwon a small, hopeful smile.

"I'm- I can't- this is so fantastic, t-thank you, _thank you._ Thank you for everything Wonho." Hyungwon was stuttering, he was making a fool of himself, but he didn't care. He hadn't cooked anything in his life, hadn't even fried an egg, and yet here he was, presented with the most fantastic meal he's had in years. Not to mention the fact that it was made for him by a pretty, muscular barista. Hyungwon's stomach suddenly made a sound like a small, dying whale and Wonho laughed, glad that Hyungwon felt that his cooking was good enough. He pulled out a roll of napkins and utensils next to the tray and grabbed his coat and bag.

"See you," he gave a wave and another smile, his eyes lingering somewhat on Hyungwon's blush, before walking quickly out the door, leaving it open. _He must be running late,_ Hyungwon thought; again, he felt a pang of regret at inconveniencing his host. He heard the sound of the front door opening and closing, followed by silence. Hyungwon sighed and then almost shot out of his skin when a cat jumped onto his chest. He spat out a few curses, getting a face full of orange cat hair.

"It's nice to meet you," Hyungwon said before pushing the cat away. He took up the fork and knife, frowning at the cat, who was sniffing the eggs. He turned his nose up at it, apparently dissatisfied with the smell.

"No one's asking you to eat it," Hyungwon snapped, almost offended. He took one bite of the pancakes and very nearly fainted the second it touched his tongue. He dug into the meal, eating with more vigor than ever. Maybe he couldn't understand Wonho's affection, but he'll be damned if he didn't find out the cause of it eventually. Hyungwon tapped his lips lightly with the fork, his mouth stuffed with food, considering the possibility that Wonho was just an unnaturally kind person. But no one, _no one_ , would treat a stranger like this.

He devoured Wonho's cooking, thinking of him all the while, and was sipping contemplatively on the drink, which turned out to be hot chocolate, when he noticed the desk at the corner of the room, next to the window. It was piled high with papers that matched the color of the wall behind them. The curtains of obscured the view outside and blocked natural light, which was just how Hyungwon liked it. He wondered what Wonho would need so many papers for. But it was none of his business.

Hyungwon decided to test out his injuries by attempting to take the tray back to the kitchen. He set down the unfinished drink on the nightstand and gathered the rest of the plates and things onto the tray. Balancing it in one hand, he set his feet down on Wonho's unfamiliar, warm floor and stood up. He felt pain shooting all over his body but remained standing. His eyes watered when he took a few slow, careful steps to the door. He needed to stop for a moment, leaning on the doorframe, before continuing his journey to the kitchen sink. He wobbled and shuffled his feet like an old man. Hyungwon really hoped he would heal quickly.

 **a/n**

this is really long for one chapter but i couldnt figure out where to stop. if you could give me feedback that would be cool.


	3. Chapter 3

"Shonwu never gets mad at you," Minhyuk said grumpily when Wonho finally showed up at the shop, twenty minutes late. "Why do the rest of us get chewed out for being late?"

"He knows Wonho attracts a lot of the female customers," Changkyun chimed, spilling black coffee on his hands. Wonho frowned.

"I didn't mean to be late." He stuffed his bag and coat under the counter and tied on his apron. "I didn't sleep well last night."

Minhyuk pouted, instinctively becoming fretful. "Why? What's wrong? You usually take care of your body so well, better than me and Changkyunnie."

"It's nothing. Kihyun got sick, I had to take a little more time this morning to make sure he was okay," Wonho lied. He wasn't sure why, but telling his friends that he was keeping his modelesque neighbor in his house would be a bad idea. Minhyuk would likely demand to see him, or Changkyun would tease him endlessly at work. Minhyuk pulled Wonho's larger figure into a hug and patted his cheek.

"Poor Wonnie, Kihyun will get better soon," he cooed. Wonho always found Minhyuk amusing when he was doting.

"Yah, you sound silly, like a mother." Wonho lightly pulled Minhyuk's hand away, smiling at the expression on Minhyuk's face.

"Please, he's like your designated nanny," Changkyun said, pausing his activity and assisted in pulling Minhyuk away, telling him that they had to get back to work.

Wonho opened a new bag of coffee grounds, working in his usual methodical manner. He thought of the boy that was likely quietly chewing away at the food he had prepared. He was so tall and elegant Wonho couldn't help but think that his manner of eating was prim and proper as well. He wondered if he should have taken the boy to get stitches. Wonho had decided last night that the cut was just shallow enough not to need it. But the kid's expression, as if the tiniest movements were causing him pain, worried him. Falling from that height, even if he fell on top of his ladder, shouldn't mean that his joints would make a tiny cracking sound every time he flexed. It was like he rarely moved at all. Wonho's brief training at the hospital didn't help him much as he tried to guess at how extensive his injuries were. He decided to ask the boy tonight if he wanted more treatment from someone with more experience.

Wonho remembered how warm his face had gotten when he told his guest that they had met at the shop in front of a redbox. _Ah, I'm a filthy liar,_ he thought to himself. Even now, as he thought about it, he could feel his face getting hot again. More than anything, he wanted the boy to share more about himself, he wanted to know about the life of the boy with the garden. Suddenly, Wonho realized he didn't even know the guy's name. Wonho felt a stong urge to kick himself, he was so stupid. He couldn't ask the simplest question. He had taken in and fed this boy without asking him for his goddamned name. He let out a small sigh, making a mental note to ask him the moment he got home.

The whole thing seemed surreal to him really. Wonho remembered his own surprise when he had felt how thin his legs were when he carried the boy home. He had been so nervous about how he was coming across to the injured boy, and he remembered how delicately slender his body was, visible even through his thick sweater. He wondered how long it would take the boy to recover. It seemed that he could shatter as easily as glass. Wonho had felt so protective; like he had an obligation to the boy he had taken into his home. Which he did.

Wonho had tried, and failed, to gauge the boy's personality. He was shy, definitely, but what else? He didn't like talking about himself either, Wonho knew. He also knew from the boy's expression when he came in with a simple breakfast, that he didn't get home cooked meals very often. Maybe he didn't know how. The boy was also neat. From what Wonho could tell when he went to get his clothes, he almost never left a scrap of clothing lying around. His closet had felt so cold he could have thought that no one has touched the wardrobe in years.

Minhyuk seemed to notice Wonho's thoughtful silence. He didn't question it, he simply glanced over at him often, observing his expression, which sometimes changed from thoughtful to tender to worried. Wonho spoke again only when his shift ended hours later, saying a quick goodbye to the other two after cleaning up.

"Wasn't hyung too quiet today?" Minhyuk muttered to Changkyun after Wonho had disappeared with his coat and bag.

"Isn't it cute?" Changkyun replied, smiling.

"What's cute?"

"Weren't you watching him? His ears were pink for hours after he came in this morning. Whoever captured his fancy is a lucky person." Changkyun's smile broadened at the thought of his hyung being in love. Minhyuk only gaped at the shorter boy, finding the idea stranger than anything. Changkyun frowned. "What? Haven't you been friends with Wonho since middle school? No one's made him look like that in years."

"Our Wonho doesn't just _fall in love_. He victimizes people in clubs. His ears were probably pink because it's almost zero degrees outside."

"That was just one time. He didn't even kiss the poor girl."

"That girl was a victim. Of Wonho hyung's violently raging testosterone."

"Oh hyung, everyone has fleeting fancies," Changkyun clucked. "You have so much to learn about our Wonnie."

Wonho was nervous on the walk home. He wanted to know more about his mysterious guest, even though the boy seemed to have little to say. Again, his mind wandered, and he thought about how his breath caught in his throat when he heard the boy's voice for the second time. It was thick and perpetually sleepy-sounding and Wonho would have fainted right then and there if the boy hadn't needed urgent attention.

And then there was the guy's hair. Thick and long and with a golden tinge, like honey, Wonho could have sworn that it shined brighter than anything he had ever seen. Again, he wondered how such a boy came to end up living in his house.

His shift ended at four and he was home by four-twenty. He unlocked his front door, his nose pink from the cold. Kihyun didn't greet him. He found this unusual, because the damn cat was always meowing on the point of shrieking for Fancy Feast almost every day. He left his coat on the coat rack and dropped his bag to the floor before going to his room. There Kihyun was, curled up on Pretty Boy's crotch as he slept. His hair stuck out in all directions, his mouth ajar, one hand on Kihyun's curled up form and the other arm thrown out to the side. He hadn't even bothered to get under the sheets.

Wonho soon discovered that his guest liked his rest. He got Kihyun's help after poking him awake and making him get off Pretty Boy's pants. The cat patted at the boy's face, almost sticking a paw through his parted lips while Wonho did everything from shaking the boy's shoulder to yelling at him to scratching the bottom of the boy's bony foot with his fingernails.

At a particularly sharp tap on his forehead, the boy showed signs of life, giving a low groan and rolling over onto his stomach, making Kihyun jump out of the way. Wonho laughed. Even like this, the boy still looked like royalty.

"What's happening." He didn't sound like he was really asking a question. He turned his head to the side, looking up at Wonho. _His eyes…_ Wonho's breath caught. Damn his big doe eyes, damn his full lips, damn the cute sleepy confused expression, damn it all to hell.

Damn it, it's been so long since he felt like this.

"Welcome home," the boy said. This time Wonho ignored his own racing heartbeat.

"Do you want to eat?"

"I want…" The boy frowned. "Shower."

"Okay, let me grab some plastic wrap."

"Plastic- what?" Wonho heard the boy beginning to sit up as he went to the kitchen. He came back with a roll of clear plastic wrap and began to roll up the leg of Pretty Boy's pajama pants. The boy was dutiful, simply watching in confusion and then sudden understanding. "Oh, I shouldn't get it wet?"

Wonho nodded. He carefully covered the bandages and a portion of his skin with the wrap and some tape. When he hissed in pain while standing, Wonho offered to draw up a bath instead so he wouldn't have to stand, but the boy refused with gritted teeth. Wonho protested but the boy only responded by limping resolutely to the bathroom. Wonho sighed and got another change of clothes from the pile on the armchair, as well as a set of contact lenses he had found in the boy's bathroom. After that he only helped the boy by turning on the shower for him and leaving him alone. Wonho figured he wasn't used to being taken care of much.

In the meantime, Wonho cooked. It was early for dinner, but he didn't often follow a regular eating schedule anyway. He listened to the sound of water running while he cooked, half-expecting the loud wet thump of the boy falling on his ass.

That sound never came. Instead, Wonho heard the bathroom door open and saw his guest appear from the bedroom. Wonho felt a now familiar tightening in his chest. He was breathing heavily, the act of showering by himself probably taking all his stamina. But that wasn't what held Wonho's attention. Believing that he wouldn't be able to leave the house for a while considering the fact that he could barely walk, Wonho had chosen stay-at-home clothes for him again. The figure leaning against the doorframe wore a simple white tee and form-fitting sweatpants. _Bastard didn't even dry his hair,_ he thought. He forced his eyes away from Pretty Boy's dripping golden hair and met his eyes. They looked a little less sleepy and a little more alert now.

"So what did you do today?" Wonho asked, continuing his work, albeit a little slower now that his attention was diverted.

"Ate, fended off a cat, went to sleep, got woken up by an angel, took a shower, and now here we are."

Wonho's hand slipped and a spoon went clattering into the sink. He flushed, retrieving it and washing it off. Other than that, he ignored the angel comment. "So you've kept yourself busy."

"So I have," Pretty Boy echoed. "Are you cooking again?"

Wonho couldn't help but smile at the excitement in his voice. "We're having tempura and spicy tofu soup. And cornbread. I like cornbread."

"Can I help?" He sounded eager. Wonho smiled again, feeling like a grandmother. Not an annoying doting nanny like Minhyuk, but a motherly figure that spends all her time in the kitchen. Wonho wasn't sure if he should be amused or horrified at the idea, so he chose amused.

"I actually need to shower too, so just watch the pot and don't let the soup boil over," Wonho replied. He brushed off his hands and walked pass the boy into his room to have a quick shower. He could smell the familiar scent of his own body soap on the boy as he passed, and he could see that the boy was following him with his eyes. _An angel…_

Looking forward to a conversation with this rather mysterious person, Wonho took the fastest shower of his life. He saw that the boy had left the clothes he had changed out of neatly folded next to the bathroom door, probably because he didn't know what else to do with them. Wonho decided that was the spot where the boy's dirty clothes would be thrown from now on. He took a spare laundry hamper from his closet and dumped the boy's clothes into it, setting it down again next to the door. He tilted his head to the side, realizing that there was only a shirt and pants, no undergarments. He felt his face heat up _again_ , damn it he was so stupid. Then he wondered if he had forgotten to give him underclothes again just now.

"Aish, honestly…" he whispered to himself. Unless Pretty Boy said something about it Wonho decided he would assume that he had not forgotten. Or maybe the boy didn't mind not wearing underwear. Wonho sighed. Being embarrassed in his own home, in his own bedroom would probably become common.

Wonho shimmied into grey cotton pants and a loose shirt. He returned to the kitchen, knowing that the cornbread and soup should be done by now. The boy was standing unmoving beside the stove, his arms crossed and his eyes fixed on the pot. He was taking his job really seriously. When he saw Wonho return, he straightened up, proud that the meal still seemed intact. "It smells good."

"It'll taste good too," Wonho replied. He felt a pang of anxiety at how labored the boy's movements seemed. Healing took time, he knew, but why the hell would a young healthy person need so much time recovering from a fall?

Wonho let the other boy get the plates and bowls, watching him closely from the corner of his eye, ready for him to stumble or lose strength or pass out or something. Thankfully, he didn't. Wonho carried the food over to his tiny dinner table. They ate without speaking, lapsing into that comfortable silence like from the night Wonho laid in bed with the boy.

Wonho tried not to look at Pretty Boy too much while he was eating. He found that if he glanced up at that face, he might start staring at how those thick lips moved as he chewed. So he kept his eyes down at the table, trying to act natural, knowing he probably didn't seem natural at all.

He looked up when he heard a creaking noise. Pretty Boy had leaned back in his seat, his hands resting contently on his stomach. The pot was half empty. Pretty Boy met his eyes, opening his mouth to say thank you probably.

"How's your leg?" he chimed before the boy could say anything.

"Its getting better I think," he said, slightly startled at the sudden question.

"I'll need to change the dressings later, okay?" The boy nodded. Wonho wanted to ask how much the rest of his body hurt, but decided against it. Pretty Boy clearly wanted to hide the fact that he was essentially the most delicate person Wonho had ever met.

Wonho put away the dishes, trying to beat Pretty Boy to all of them, not wanting him to move too much. He ordered the boy to go to the couch and wait for him to get the gauze. Pretty Boy sat obediently, watching Wonho's movements with puppy eyes. Finally, he plopped down beside the boy, with the gauze and cleaning material.

The wound was healing slowly. Wonho grit his teeth and wrapped the cut with a practiced hand, reciting the protocol to himself. He felt the boy watch him, like he was fascinated by his own ripped flesh. Wonho rolled the pant leg back down.

"How come you don't like blood?"

Wonho's eyes darted up at the question, his gaze meeting Pretty Boy's gently sloping eyes and straight nose. Wonho blinked, straightening up. "What?"

"H- how come you don't- you seem to be grossed out," he said, his eyebrows rising slightly.

"I had to learn how to do these things. I never liked blood. I don't like seeing it," Wonho replied. "I guess it just feels like… it belongs inside someone's body, you know?"

The boy nodded. "Yet you're doing this for me anyway."

"I am."

"Thank you."

God he looked extraordinary when he said that. His eyes were glued to Wonho's, and his voice was thick with sincerity and got just a tad deeper with those words and his hair was half-wet still and stuck out at the side as if a cow had licked it and Wonho's hand was still settled on the boy's thigh and Wonho felt like his heart was about to fly up out of his throat and onto the floor.

Those giant puppy dog eyes shifted. Wonho knew his gaze was focused on his mouth now. The boy's body tensed just a bit in hesitation. He was thinking, weighing Wonho's affection with his own.

Wonho 's eyebrow twitched involuntarily. _God dammit, what the fuck just fucking kiss me,_ he thought. He waited for another beat before tightening his grip on the boy's thigh and driving his face against the other boy's. _Holy shit._ The boy's lips were like a pillow, they were so plump, and Wonho could hear a faint muffled yelp against his mouth at the sudden assault.

Wonho didn't think of himself as an impatient person, and he knew that the boy's body was somehow _still_ sore from the fall, but Pretty Boy's hands were moving _so goddamned slow_ , just inching up Wonho's arm and settling lightly behind Wonho's neck as the larger boy pressed his lips harder against the other. He moved them slowly, trying to match Pretty Boy's pace, trying to be as gentle, trying to be as careful as he lifted the boy's legs and settled them on either side of his own body. The boy let his back lean against the armrest, his other hand slipping into Wonho's hair. Wonho's tongue flicked lightly against his lips, wetting their lips and making them slide against each other more with saliva.

"Ah…" The boy's lips parted, and his eyes closed. His hands moved, one tangling Wonho's hair while the other gripped his shirt. His movements were jerky and uncertain and Wonho could feel his heart jumping and his mind going nearly blank. He had braced one hand against the armrest while the other traveled over the boy's body. He didn't press his hand very hard against his skin, he simply ran his hand down over the t-shirt covering a belly slightly rounded with Wonho's dinner until he reached the hem. He brushed his fingertips over a strip of exposed skin, waiting for a sound of protest. When he received only another soft sigh, he let his hand dip under, skimming his fingers over the boy's smooth skin, discovering some half-healed scrapes and feeling his prominent ribs like speed bumps under his fingers. He was definitely thin, more so than Wonho expected, but he didn't find it unattractive. It was just another aspect of this beautiful, lovely, ethereal boy whom he first laid eyes on years ago.

Wonho brought his hand back down to settle against the boy's side and continued moving his lips against the other's. His heart fluttered again when Pretty Boy got the courage to prod Wonho's lips lightly with his tongue and slowly slipped inside his mouth. His hands stopped tugging on Wonho's hair and moved to settle at his shoulders to concentrate on the movements of his mouth. Wonho could feel the uncertainty and awkwardness, and he found it more endearing than ever. He met the Pretty Boy's tongue with his own, and he felt a vibration under his hand as the boy beneath him gave a barely audible groan.

Wonho smiled slightly and moved away from the boy's mouth. Pretty Boy was breathless, and Wonho thought that he hadn't taken in a single gulp of air while they kissed. His smirk broadened. He gave the boy light pecks as he moved down his jaw, to his neck, before stopping and sucking on the skin just above his collarbone. The boy jerked and relaxed, bringing his hands to Wonho's hair and neck again. Wonho broke away to trail back up to the boy's ear.

"No… touching…" he murmured, and then licked up the edge of the boy's ear.

"Oh… ok." The boy's voice was so soft and breathy and sent a shiver up Wonho's spine. Gathering his senses, Wonho brought his hands to the waistband of the boy's pants, slipping his fingers under the fabric just beneath both of his hipbones. Again, he waited for the sound of protest. He heard the boy's breath pick up significantly. Wonho eagerly tugged down the clothing, not forgetting about the cut. He kept pressure off the wound, quickly and lightly pulling off the pants and letting them drop to the floor.

 _Oh right._ No underclothes.

The boy's face had flushed a light shade of pink and he looked away, his eyes moving to Wonho's chest. Wonho was on his knees between the boy's slender, pale legs and prevented him from closing them in embarassment. His shirt was thin and he was more or less spread out and vulnerable beneath the larger boy. Wonho tried not to let his lips turn up at the corners, but the kid seemed so soft and shy and downright enchanting. Wonho took the hem of his own shirt and pulled it over his head. It dropped down to where the boy's pants were.

"What's so funny?" the boy demanded, his voice shaky.

"Nothing. You're cute," Wonho said bluntly, trying to make his expression less amused and more sexy. The boy huffed, struggling to keep his eyes off Wonho's muscular torso and pouting at the sentiment. He didn't seem to realize that everything he did appealed to Wonho's love for cute things. He brought his mouth to the boy's neck, making his way back up to those perfect pink lips. He nudged the boy's legs with his knees, spreading them out, teasing him. In response, Pretty Boy arched slightly off the couch, his breath picking up pace at the feeling of Wonho's sweatpants against his bare thigh. He lifted his willowy arms, sliding his hands over Wonho's skin, cupping his face, digging blunt nails into his strong back. Wonho inhaled sharply at the touch, feeling blood rush through his body and bringing a flush to his face and crotch. He held back a contented sigh, gently taking the boy's hands and pinning them over his head. Wonho shifted his leg, bringing it to rest high up between his thighs. His eyes met those of the boy under him. His other hand brushed back the boy's hair before sliding down to cup his face. His sweatpants grazed Pretty Boy's rigid member. He leaned forward, pressing down harder, slipping his thumb between the boy's parted lips at the same time, just past his teeth. His eyes widened and a soft, high-pitched moan escaped around Wonho's thumb. He could feel the boy's tongue tracing the outline of his thumb, inviting him to infiltrate deeper. Wonho obliged, pressing down on the boy's tongue, not nearly enough to make him gag, but enough to make it impossible to hold back his moans.

Wonho trusted that the boy wouldn't move his hands from above his head, so he let go to run his hand back down the boy's body and slide his hand to the small of his back. He continued pressing his leg down on the boy's member and kneaded it lightly with as much precision as he could. Wonho felt the boy's hot breath against his hand when he moaned, his muscles tensing and his back arching in his hand. He kept his eyes Wonho, and they were wide and totally captivated in Wonho's every movement. Wonho let a smirk cross his face, shifting his knee again. The boy screwed up his face, trying and failing to bite back a choked moan. Every muscle on his body was defined and Wonho couldn't help but be engrossed in the boy writhing and whimpering beneath him. Saliva was beginning to build up in the boy's mouth, threatening to spill over.

Wonho removed his hand, drawing out a thin chain of saliva as he did so. He moved his hand down and placed it low on the boy's pelvis, his fingers tracing over the sharp hipbone and his wet thumb lightly grazing his warm pink member. He felt the boy sigh beneath him, and he unintentionally rolled his hips into Wonho's touch. Wonho kept his touch light, barely skimming over the boy's tip as he stroked. Pretty Boy gasped and balled his hands into fists above his head. His knees bent and his legs stiffened and Wonho could tell that he was trying harder than ever not to thrust into his hand. His back arched almost completely off the couch. Wonho could feel sinewy muscle twitching against his other hand. His pace remained slow and teasing, and he leaned down to place soft kisses on the boy's chest and neck.

"Faster, go faster please…" Wonho gave the boy's tip a particularly hard rub in response.

"Hm?" he murmured, his lips grazing the boy's jaw.

"Ah!" The boy was whimpering again, his body shuddering and tensing. Wonho grinned, keeping his face buried in the boy's neck so he wouldn't see. He continued with his light strokes, feeling the boy get increasingly agitated. His soft voice was getting louder and his moans became high-pitched and needy. Wonho composed his expression, still thinking about how adorable and strangely sexy this boy was. He drew away from the crook of his neck, putting more pressure on the boy's member, feeling the gentle pulse in his palm. He scooted down, running his other hand over the boy's skin under his shirt. Wonho accidentally skimmed the boy's nipple and almost yelped when the boy gave a sudden jerk of his body in response, coupled with a low moan. Wonho resisted another amused smile and he experimentally flicked lightly at his nipple again. He felt a shiver run through the boy's body and he looked down at Wonho's face, his lips wet and breathing heavily. Wonho maintained eye contact, scooting further down until he was hovering over the boy's pelvis. He stroked lightly again, a little faster now. He positioned his lips over the pink, leaking tip as if he were about to kiss it. Teasingly, he raised an eyebrow at the boy who was watching him with such attention, as if he were asking, _Do you want it?_

The boy seemed unable to speak. Only a quiet whine came from his throat, which turned into a choked moan as Wonho began to stroke harder. He parted his lips and he knew the boy could feel his warm breath against his member. He managed to find his voice.

"Don't tease… Please just let me into your m-mouth," he murmured, his voice somehow still shy. Wonho could have cried, this kid was so cute. He had to give Pretty Boy what he wanted.

He lowered his hand to the base of the boy's hard length, still giving short, firm strokes. He placed light, open-mouthed kisses along the shaft. He made his way back up to the tip and gave the boy a wink before kissing the tip, hard. Ever obedient, his hands were still above his head, his arms shaking with the effort to keep them there instead of grabbing Wonho's hair. Wonho had barely parted his lips after the kiss to take him into his mouth when he felt warm fluid squirting onto his tongue. A loud, broken moan ripped its way from the boy's throat, and he rolled his hips, entering Wonho's mouth. Wonho took him in, helping him along his orgasm, sucking roughly and bobbing down a few times. He watched the tendons in the boy's neck tense and stand out, and he felt the boy's legs shifting and wrapping around Wonho as his body was racked with pleasure.

His movements eventually came to a stop. Wonho slid off, swallowing hard. He ignored how wet his lips were, reaching up and pecking the boy quickly on the lips before he had even come to his senses. Slowly, the boy brought his arms down to his sides, focusing his gaze first on Wonho's lips then on his eyes. He propped himself up on his elbows. His breathing was heavy still, and Wonho thought he was quite a sight, with hair that was still slightly damp and tangled where the boy had balled his hands up in it in his effort to resist touching Wonho, and with wet lips and eyes wide with surprise and satisfaction. Wonho flicked his hair from his eyes and wondered if Pretty Boy was too inexperienced to give him some relief in return. _Ah well,_ he thought. _Getting the kid's pants off was more than enough fun._

The boy's eyes left Wonho's and went to his broad chest, then lowered further to the strain just below his waistband, barely noticeable because of how baggy his sweatpants were. The boy tugged lightly on the hem of his own shirt, as if trying to cover himself up. He didn't seem to notice that he was doing it. He looked back up at Wonho through his eyelashes, his dark eyes nervous.

His arms were long enough to reach Wonho without shifting much, and he grabbed him behind the neck and pulled him into a sudden clumsy kiss. Wonho laughed softly against the boy's mouth and easily pulled him by his waist to sit on his lap. He felt the boy's bare, bony ass against the cloth on his thighs. The heat between his legs was beginning to impair his reasoning. The boy wrapped his arms around Wonho, locking his head in place, and he put everything he had into kissing the daylights out of him. Wonho felt the boy's tongue roughly enter his mouth, sliding against his own, running across the inside of his cheeks, grazing the roof of his mouth. The aggression startled Wonho enough for him to let short, choked moan escape from his throat. Encouraged, the boy ran his teeth against Wonho's lip and sucked lightly. Wonho rolled his hips. His usually loose pants somehow felt far too tight and hot, but he didn't move his hands from the boy's waist, preferring to let him do what he wanted.

The boy seemed to notice that Wonho's hands were becoming tenser against his body in his effort not to relieve himself, and he broke away from Wonho's lips, breathing heavily. His long hair was falling into his eyes. Wonho reached up and brushed away the boy's bangs, mesmerized by those brown doe eyes. The boy stared back, taking his hands from behind Wonho's head and running them down his body. Wonho shivered at the boy's light touch, almost as gentle as Wonho had been with him. Fingers slipped below his waistband and tugged before letting the elastic snap back against his skin with a faint slapping sound. The boy's lips twitched, almost curling into a teasing smile. Wonho's body was tense, the ridges of his stomach becoming prominent. He let his hands slowly run up and down the boy's bare thighs. The boy's tongue darted out, wetting his lips. He put two fingers back beneath Wonho's waistband, stuffing them deeper in, closer to Wonho's heat. He ran his fingers along the waistband until he reached behind the other boy's body. Wonho lifted his hips a little, allowing the boy to pull his pants down halfway down his thighs. The boy's hand reached for Wonho's member almost immediately after it had been freed, his long fingers wrapping around his length. He gave it a few pumps experimentally, and Wonho's head tilted back, a low hum coming from his chest. He had his eyes closed, but he felt the boy's hand tighten around him, and he went faster. He felt the boy's eyes on him, watching his expression, but he couldn't keep his mouth from falling open slightly, moaning. He kept himself from bucking into the boy's hand, not wanting to dislodge the boy from his seat on Wonho's thighs. His fingers began to press against the boy's hips, his breathing becoming more erratic. He heard a whimper and opened his eyes, straightening his neck. The boy was hard again, and he was touching himself, just as fast and hard as he was for Wonho with his other hand. Wonho moaned at the sight of both of the boy's hands being occupied by their cocks, and he took the boy's hips and lifted him slightly, pulling him closer and ignoring his surprised yelp. He pulled him close enough for their hips to touch, and the boy's member rubbed against his own. The boy looked down and hesitantly wrapped one hand around them both. Wonho did the same, his hand covering the boy's with more confidence.

"Move," he whispered into the boy's ear, pumping lightly in unison with him. The boy obeyed and thrust into their hands, precome already wetting his tip. Wonho let out a breathy moan, and the boy picked up his pace, rubbing against Wonho while their hands pumped up and down. Wonho felt his core tightening, and boy gave him another kiss, moving his plump lips roughly and quickly. He felt the boy's movements become uneven and jerky and he came as soon as he felt the boy give a particularly strong pulse against his member and his cum spilling over his hand and stomach, accompanied with the boy's low groan.

His nerves were still tingling after he came, but his body finally relaxed. He let go of the boy's hand on their fading erections. The boy did the same, looking straight into Wonho's eyes with a sultry gaze and slowly dragging his pink tongue up his hand and licking the come off the tip of his finger. Wonho froze, his heart rate going from zero to a hundred really fucking quick. The boy kept going, Sticking the next two fingers that was splashed with their come into his mouth, sucking. He even went as far as winking slyly, his tongue darting out and curling around his finger. Wonho's mind went blank except for a very long, very jumbled train of filthy, incoherent words and profanities.

Apparently the boy couldn't take the expression on Wonho's face very long, because the sexy, deliberate expression on his face crumpled into a huge, toothy, open-mouthed smile. Loud peals of laughter echoed through the living room and caused Kihyun to yelp in surprise from her seat on the kitchen counter.

Wonho's ears felt very hot. He closed his mouth, which had fallen open during the boy's little show with the come and finger licking.

"Yah! Don't laugh!"

"Your face oh my fucking god you looked like a monkey….Hahaha ha your eyes like glazed over and you didn't notice that your mouth opened and your ears stick out so much from your head…"

Wonho spoke above the breathless laughter, annoyed by the boy's reaction but happy that he got to see him laugh for the first time. He had wanted to make the boy laugh since he received a smile from him for the first time. However, this was not how he wanted it to happen. "If you had gone on any longer I might've ended up bending you over the damn coffee table! I'll be damned if I accidentally reopen your cut by slamming into you-"

The boy flushed red and quickly got off his lap, quickly sliding into his pants again. Wonho was left on the couch with cum on his stomach and his brows furrowed in mock annoyance. The boy went and retrieved a tissue box from the table and went back to Wonho.

"You sure you don't want to lick it off my abs too?" Wonho said, just to fluster the boy. It worked. Wonho got to enjoy seeing the boy flush ever redder, his mouth forming a smile that was so embarrassed that it hardly looked like a smile at all. Wonho took the tissue box and cleaned himself up, offering his sticky hand to the boy as well, probably making him regret teasing Wonho in the first place.

The boy laid back on the couch, his legs sprawling over Wonho. He covered his face with his hands, mumbling to himself.

"What was that?" Wonho said, felling both amused and curious, and still miffed.

"I _said_ I cant believe I did that."

"I cant believe it either," Wonho replied cheerfully. "I think it's going to be burned into my memory forever. Now I'll have something to think about during lonely nights."

"Shut _up,_ " He groaned. Wonho laughed.

"I promise if you do it again next time, I won't make a face like a Neanderthal."

"And next time, I promise I wont be the one coming twice."

Wonho liked that very much.


	4. Chapter 4

The boy healed eventually, much to Wonho's relief. Recovery came quickly after the first few days. First the aches became less noticeable when the boy moved, then the wound closed, leaving a jagged, dark scar that Wonho knew would fade to white after a few years.

Wonho did get to learn the boy's name eventually. For some reason, the boy stayed sound asleep for at least two days after he had rutted so messily into the boy's hand. He had been absolutely indifferent to Wonho's threatening to call the hospital, his snoring simply growing louder. Wonho gave up eventually, and noticed the boy's contact lens case on the nightstand. He went back into the little brick house and nearly turned it upside down hunting for the boys goddamn glasses. He found them behind a dusty bookshelf along with some gum wrappers and pennies. Wonho left them by the nightstand before leaving to go to work.

Then, after 42 hours, Wonho came home to find the boy sprawled across the same couch, wearing a hoodie six sizes too large and with a paper in his hand.

"The demon awakens," Wonho said, tossing his bag through the open bedroom door, onto his bed. Kihyun scratched at his heels, mewling. Wonho ignored him, jumping onto the couch, still in his uniform, and peering around to look at what he was reading. His heart left its place in his chest and tumbled past his stomach and straight to the floor. The boy looked up, and apparently he hadn't even bothered wiping the dust from his glasses. He cleared his throat, somehow sounding sarcastic as he did so, and read:

"That Minhyuk spilled hot milk on me today,

That clumsy asshole can't seem to see straight;

Can't believe I treated him to sorbet.

For how long will this asshole hibernate,

Can I just see him, can I know his name?

Fucking annoying ass motherfucker.

I need you to wake up, have you no shame?!

I know he's probably a good sucker,

But I want to just talk with him again.

Tell me, can you really call this a crime?

I hope Kihyun steps on your face, Amen,

Seriously it's not always bedtime.

You look hella cute when you sleep, snoring,

Please wake up, Kihyun can be quite boring."

Wonho didn't even try to snatch the paper away. He was busy cursing himself with his head in his hands for being too lazy to throw all those goddamned papers out, for being stupid enough to write one before going to work and just dumping it on the stupid desk as if the topic of the stupid poem wasn't less than ten feet away. When the boy finished reading in an increasingly more amused tone, he took off his glasses and looked at Wonho's hunched over figure with slightly bloodshot eyes from the time he spent asleep.

"You know," he said conversationally. "A proper sonnet has personification, metaphors-"

"I know what a proper sonnet has," Wonho mumbled into his hands. "If I had been planning on writing one for you, I would have followed the rules of poetry."

"This wasn't for me? Is there some other fucking annoying ass motherfucker you were addressing?" He sounded incredibly sarcastic, not to mention on the verge of bursting into laughter.

"Shut up." Wonho raised his head with a sigh, his hair ruffled. "Thanks for waking up, I guess. And, um, You didn't read any of the other ones did you? The papers on the desk?"

"No."

"Are you lying?"

"N- yes."

Wonho groaned, embarrassment taking over. He flushed pink, from his neck to his hairline, and his face crumpled into a very sheepish half-smile.

"So?"

"So? So what? I liked the poem, even if it the most hastily written piece of literature I have ever read- Also, did I really not tell you my name yet?"

"No."

"Oh." Wonho watched him set the paper aside thoughtfully. "Should I tell you?"

"Tell me what you thought about the other things you read first," Wonho said apprehensively.

"I didn't read _all_ of them, there must be thousands of papers there. I did see that you wrote about 'a mcfreakin angel living right outside my window,' and I looked out the bedroom window and I saw my dead-as-shit garden."

"Um. Yeah. I see you there sometimes."

"Sometimes? I practically live in my backyard from March to August."

"I know." The boy looked at Wonho intently for a moment and then said,

"Do you really think I'm a pretty creature?"

Wonho's flush deepened. Truthfully, he said, "Yes."

The boy looked back at the paper scrawled with Wonho's hasty, annoyed scrawl and smiled. Wonho thought he could see a tinge of pink appear in the boy's ears and cheeks.

"Wonho's not my real name," he blurted.

"What?" The boy looked back, surprised.

"It's not my real name. People just call me that. Wonho means protector. My friends think I'm a protector I guess."

"Protector."

"That's right," Wonho said in a small voice. He balled his hands up on his knees.

"I suppose that's accurate. Were you going to tell me your birth name?"

Wonho felt his heart flutter at the comment and replied, "Tell me your's first."

"Me?" The boy paused. "I'm Hyungwon."

"Hyungwon." The boy nodded. "Nice to meet you."

Hyungwon hid his smile behind his long fingers. "And your name is…?"

"Hoseok."

"Hoseok."

"My name sounds pretty when you say it," Wonho said thoughtfully. That thick, velvety voice made everything sound good, it seemed. Hyungwon smiled at the compliment.

Wonho took every last sheet of paper on that desk, stuffed them into a garbage bag, dragged it to the dumpster behind the café, and threw it out.

Hyungwon found out it was Chirstmas when a skinny blonde kid came busting down the front door with a pointy elf hat and another short, confused looking kid in tow. The brunette kid had a white wig and beard draped over his head, probably thrown there by the taller blond one. Hyungwon had been taking a midnight shower when he heard pounding on the door, followed by a metallic clicking and the sound of the door flying open. He sprinted out of the bathroom with a towel around his hips and slapped Wonho's sleeping form awake. He heard the pair of strangers through their open bedroom door tottering around in the living room. The brunette one seemed to be trying to find a light switch and was muttering, "Drag me here… cozy bed… just get a girlfriend so I don't have to substitute…"

"What? What are you doing?" Wonho said groggily. He looked up and saw Hyungwon's expression of unfiltered panic. He sat up, frowning. "What?"

" _Wonhomoooooooooo,"_ the other intruder yelled. " _Wonnie, it's Christmas!"_

"Oh my god," Wonho said, just as the lights clicked on and streamed into the dark bedroom.

"There you are!" The blond kid looked at Hyungwon. "Oh. Were you busy? Doesn't matter, we have to celebrate the day we met and instantaneously became the best of friends, two years ago when you ran over my phone in an ice skating rink."

"Will you get over that? I bought you a new one!" Wonho said exasperatedly.

"An elephant never forgets."

"Did you just call yourself an elephant?" Wonho sniffed, noticing the sharp smell of alcohol. "Is that cognac? What happened to being a 'broke as shit college student?'"

"The bossman gave it to us as a Christmas gift last minute. But I'm pretty sure he got a case of cognac from someone as a gift and just gave one to us." Wonho seemed to realize that Hyungwon was still standing there with soapy hair and a bare torso. "The blond one's Minhyuk and the short pissed off one is Changkyun."

"I see," Hyungwon said. He looked away from Minhyuk, who was had apparently spent money on an electric elf hat, since it was vibrating and jerking on his head in a dance and singing Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, and walked back into the bathroom. "I'll let you three reminisce."

Hyungwon washed the soap from his hair and put on his hoodie and boxers. He returned to see Minhyuk on the bed with a bottle of wine that Hyungwon knew was from their pantry in his lap and was happily chattering away with Changkyun sitting on the floor facing away from Minhyuk and staring at a wall. Wonho was listening to Minhyuk with unfocused eyes.

"I can't believe you have a boyfriend, why didn't you _tell_ me oh my god when's the wedding, can I be the maid of honor? I absolutely must be the maid of honor; I will be the one who plans the whole thing. I don't mind wearing a dress, I've been told that I have very shapely legs, I'm sure I could pull it off, as long as the dress isn't yellow, because that would clash with my hair and we can't have that! How long have you been together? 4 years? 5? What's his name? I never thought you would actually be able to make a person like you because you're so sleazy, Changkyun knew you were in love from the second you came to work one day, but I'm bad at these things so of course I couldn't pick it up-"

"He's not my boyfriend," Hyungwon said, squeezing his body into a corner of the bed because Minhyuk was sprawled all over. "We're roommates."

Wonho made a noise in agreement. Changkyun sat up and turned his head, peering over the edge of the bed up at the rest of them. "Then why are you turning pink."

Hyungwon clapped a hand to his cheek, which was rather warm. "I don't date. Its hard when 95% of your life consists of sleep and the other 5% is just the process of waking up and going back to sleep."

Changkyun ducked his head, laughing. Minhyuk was really very riled up in Hyungwon's opinion. He was almost vibrating with energy. Or maybe it was just the hat, which was still dancing, though it had ceased its unpleasant mechanical singing.

"I can't believe you don't have any decorations hyung. Where's your spirit? Your Christmas joy?"

"I have no joy." Which was easy to say since it was past midnight and Minhyuk had picked the door's lock to trespass into your home.

"Lets do shots! That'll cheer you up, right?" Minhyuk chirped, though he was probably very drunk already. Hyungwon was sure the wine the kid was holding was full before.

"I'm down," Changkyun said with a sigh.

"I didn't realize it was Christmas," Hyungwon voiced, looking over at Wonho. "Did you know? How come you didn't say anything?"

Wonho shrugged. "I don't care about holidays I guess."

Minhyuk clutched at his heart upon hearing that. "I can't believe you. This is our friendship anniversary _and_ Christmas."

"Alright, alright," Wonho huffed. Maybe it was the lengthy friendship he had with Minhyuk, or the fact that trying to argue with him would be more tiring than clubbing for six hours, but Wonho was quick to relent. He looked at Hyungwon with invitation in his eyes.

"Uh." Hyungwon looked at the restless Minhyuk, then at Changkyun, whose head was still peeking over the edge of the mattress in mild interest, then back to Wonho's hopeful gaze. "I don't have an ID."

"Its fine, the bouncer fancies me," Minhyuk said impatiently. He pointed a skinny finger at Hyungwon. "You. Wear something nice. Wonnie, make sure u pick a shirt that shows off your biceps."

With that, he rolled off the bed and bounded back into the kitchen, raising the wine bottle to his lips happily. Changkyun grunted as he got up, giving the other two an exasperated but resigned look. He unzipped his jacket, revealing a pink shirt that was artfully ripped to shreds. "Look at what he gave me to wear. He kidnapped me when I was sleeping half naked too so I didn't have much choice in my wardrobe."

"It's a good look on you," Wonho said, going over to the closet to find something Minhyuk would reluctantly approve of. "I might ask to borrow it one day."

"What, so you can match with everyone else at the gay bar?" Changkyun said disparagingly before following Minhyuk out the bedroom door and closing it behind him, giving the older boys privacy to change. Hyungwon watched Wonho pull out a nearly translucent, tight-looking button down. He held it out in front of him for a second, considering, and shrugged. He grabbed some jeans as well and slung the clothes over his arm.

"Do you have clothes?" Wonho asked as he pulled his shirt over his head. He shrugged on the button down, looking at Hyungwon expectantly.

"Not Minhyuk-worthy clothes, no," Hyungwon looked at a spot over Wonho's shoulder, trying not to be too obvious that he was keeping his eyes off the other boy's muscular torso. He had seen all of it before, but if he looked again now, he really might turn red, and he didn't want Wonho to see that.

"I thought so. Come here, choose something." He beckoned Hyungwon over to check out his closet before pulling down his pants. He made his way over, still determinedly avoiding the sight of Wonho's perfect, even skin.

"You have a ton of clothes," Hyungwon commented, realizing that the closet was a lot bigger than it looked from the outside.

"Thanks. Choose something, quick, before Minhyuk finds the soju I'm hiding under the sink."

The pair of them emerged ten minutes later, Wonho sporting hastily styled hair and a slightly pink flush in his cheeks. Hyungwon was wearing a black shirt that was 50% mesh fabric. He kept his hands clasped together, slightly self-conscious that his bellybutton was visible. At least he was wearing his own pants, tight and black.

Minhyuk, it seemed, had discovered the soju and about half of the bottle was empty. He was sprawled across the kitchen table, propped up on his arm. He jumped up at the sight of the two coming out of the bedroom, sloshing some alcohol to the floor. Changkyun rose from his place on the couch, tucking his phone into his back pocket. He smiled when he saw Wonho. More specifically, when he saw the flush that had crept up Wonho's exposed chest and to his face.

"Ahhhhhh, Oppaaaaa!" Changkyun whisper-screamed, his voice high-pitched and mocking.

"Shut up," Wonho hissed. Minhyuk was bouncing on the balls of his feet, impatiently waiting for the pair to get their shoes on and tread out the door. Hyungwon was about to turn around and walk straight back inside when he felt the cold air, but Wonho had taken Hyungwon's wrist lightly, quickly guiding him along to match Minhyuk's brisk pace. "Come on. Minhyuk needs me to drive since he never got a fucking license."

He said the last part loud enough for the blond one to hear. All Hyungwon heard was excited giggling in response. He wondered what club would be open during Christmas. He let himself be pulled along, his eyes occasionally going to Wonho's perfectly mussed up hair gleaming in the darkness, feeling only a slight ache in his back which was masked by his own anticipation. This would be his first time at a club, though he would never admit it to the others. The combination of getting out of bed once in a while and Wonho's beautiful meals had made the horrid aches go away for the most part, and he was glad.

The club was very popular, apparently and the line went around the block, despite the hour and the fact that it was Christmas Day. It was true that the bouncer had a soft spot for Minhyuk, but he eyed Hyungwon's unfamiliar face carefully. Though he was quite a bit taller, Hyungwon almost shivered under his gaze. It took a _Pretty please, Joohoney?_ from Minhyuk before the bouncer flashed a dimple and waved his hand at the entrance. Minhyuk smiled, gave the bouncer the nearly empty bottle of soju as a Christmas gift and bounded inside. The other three followed, ducking under the neon sign of the club, _Big Hit._

"Minhyuk can really hold his alcohol," Hyungwon said loudly over the music.

"Not really," Wonho shouted back as they weaved through the crowd of people. "He's actually pretty far gone after two shots. Minhyuk is on autopilot right now."

Hyungwon laughed and pressed closer to Wonho, avoiding a couple that were locked in a passionate embrace. Minhyuk had wrestled off Changkyun's jacket and the bright pink fabric was easy to follow as they made their way to the bar. Hyungwon saw Minhyuk's head bobbing back toward them, he had been cutting through the crowd so much faster than the rest of them, and he felt a glass being thrust into his hand. Wonho looked up at him with a smirk, and gulped down his own drink. Changkyun wasn't even old enough to get in the club in the first place, and he eyed the clear fluid Minhyuk had given him warily. Minhyuk was dancing in place, his crop top exposing his narrow hips and stomach as he raised his arms over his head, swaying. Hyungwon brought the glass to his lips, and he could smell how strong the alcohol was before downing it all at once like Wonho. He almost gagged. Changkyun put on a brave face and took a sip, coughed, then took another sip. Minhyuk cheered him on.

Wonho tugged Hyungwon's sleeve. "Lets go dance."

Wonho dragged him along by his sleeve, their empty glasses abandoned at the bar. Minhyuk was having his own little dance party with Changkyun, who bobbed uncomfortably to the music.

It was crowded and stuffy and hot, but it seemed so surreal; the flashing, colorful lights that reflected off people's faces and clothes, the hair matted to people's foreheads, the infectious feeling of letting go and dancing however you wanted. Hyungwon accidentally found himself sandwiched between two girls, almost as tall as he was, both of them ignoring his presence an bouncing to the heavy beat that matched the rhythm of the flashing lights. Wonho was a few feet away, watching his awkward dancing with a grin. He reached out and pulled Hyungwon towards him, the people around them pressing their bodies together. Wonho continued with his dancing when Hyungwon was safely with him, rolling his body as if he had done this a hundred times before. Maybe he had.

They got drunker, the alcohol supplied by a still–energetic Minhyuk, who had scuttled between the two on the dance floor and the bar with multiple glasses before giving up and buying a whole bottle and thrusting it into Wonho's hands. Hyungwon's perpetual sleepiness melted away soon, replaced by a carefree exhilaration. He watched Wonho dance, the shirt he wore not even buttoned up past his sternum, his pale skin beginning to glisten in the heat. Hyungwon danced too, knowing just how to list in time with the music. He wasn't trying to be nearly as sexy as the neighboring clubbers were, but at least he wasn't standing in place and bobbing his head like Changkyun was in the far corner of the dance floor.

At some point Wonho passed off the almost full bottle to a boy with long colorful hair. Wonho grabbed Hyungwon's collar and yelled, " _We should go to Minhyuk, he's the one who brought us here."_

They found the blond boy hugging Changkyun from behind, tilting from side to side, singing _Shake It_ and slurring the words so it was impossible to tell if he was getting the lyrics right. Changkyun's face was deadpan, but Hyungwon wasn't sure if he were displeased by Minhyuk's embrace or by the fact that his embrace was keeping him from getting drunker and dancing. Wonho swatted Minhyuk's hands away, saying that if the bouncer saw him like that, he would never let them back inside. Minhyuk wrapped his arms around Wonho instead, his eyes half closed and his square teeth exposed in a wide smile.

"Aish," Wonho muttered. "Help me."

Hyungwon and Wonho managed to pull Minhyuk to the bar and plopped him down on one of the stools. Immediately, his head fell to the table with a thump.

"Look after him alright?" Wonho said to the bartender, a tall man with broad shoulders and brown hair. The man nodded and went back to pouring out a shot for some kid who was shirtless except for a big fur coat and was talking to a boy with blue hair and downward slanting eyes.

Wonho sighed. "It's too soon. He just got here and now he's dead."

"It's been almost two hours. He did his best," Changkyun offered. He looked wistfully at the dance floor.

"Go ahead," Wonho laughed, lightly pushing him. Changkyun shook his head.

"You know I can't dance."

"So? Neither can anyone else here," Wonho retorted, earning a few annoyed looks from people within earshot. "Lets get you another drink. Minhyuk may have dragged us out here, and he may have been the first to pass out, but I'll be damned if you don't get your chance at fun tonight. Maybe you can get laid, even."

Wonho ignored Changkyuns spluttering and got a few shots for all of them. After getting Changkyun to finish two glasses, he took one for himself and gave Hyungwon a tipsy smile. Hyungwon returned it, not saying anything over the pulsing music, which only seemed to be getting louder. He took a shot.

Apparently, Changkyun could be quite a dancer while drunk. Not a good dancer, but his moves were erratic and jerky enough to be comical, and he got Hyungwon, Wonho, and anyone who bothered to watch his dancing almost doubled over with laughter.

" _I am the Hawkeye,"_ he yelled, his arms flailing. Hyungwon giggled while Wonho explained that once, in high school, Changkyun shot an arrow in the school's shooting range but the arrow flew so far to the left that it impaled the window of a parked car 100 meters away. Hence, the nickname. Changkyun faced Wonho when he heard the term "Hawkeye," and pretended to shoot them both with his fingers, making _pew pew pew_ sounds. Wonho started dancing again, encouraging Hyungwon to dance too. Changkyun clapped his hands together, squealing and mimicking an adoring schoolgirl. "Oppa! Oppaaa! _Yes! You are hip hop!_ "

Hyungwon never would have thought being so fuzzy in the head could be so enjoyable. He noticed people eyeing Wonho of course, but Wonho's attention was focused entirely on him, he was smiling and laughing with Hyungwon alone, and that made him feel livelier than ever.

He pulled out his mantis dance at some point, something he learned when he was younger. Wonho got a good laugh out of that. Changkyun was a bit lost in his own little world, dancing with so much enthusiasm that he had managed to clear a small circle for himself. No one seemed to mind, because he was interesting to watch.

Minhyuk found them again, much to their surprise. Wonho was about to pull him into the crowd to join them, but Minhyuk pulled him back instead. Wonho motioned for Hyungwon to follow him as he was dragged away by Minhyuk. Hyungwon took Changkyun by the arm and could feel him trying to pirouette and walk at the same time.

Minhyuk dragged them outside and was leaning against the side of the building when Hyungwon managed to fight his way through the crowd of people with Changkyun in tow. Wonho tried to get him to tell him what was up, lightly slapping his face and shaking his shoulder. Minhyuk had a strange expression, his eyes slightly unfocused and his lips parted. His breathing was shallow.

"Do you want to go home? Is that it? The car's around the corner, I can carry you if it gets hard for you to walk-" Then Minhyuk straightened up and walked away. Wonho furrowed his eyebrows, bewildered. The three followed him, Changkyun somewhat heedlessly. None of them were very sober, but they kept close behind Minhyuk as he led them farther down the block. There weren't any streetlights in that direction and it became quite dark as they strayed from the bright club.

He brought them to a dingy ally, uncharacteristically silent, ignoring Wonho's inquiries. There was a very dim light in the ally coming from a window above them. Trash littered the floor and there were piles of recycling and garbage in farther down the ally. Minhyuk stopped and faced them slowly.

"I came here. I woke up. I needed to pee, like, really bad and the bathrooms there suck you know? I came here. To pee," He said, his voice raspy. He looked at Wonho, then at Hyungwon. Changkyun had stilled for the time being, and he was watching Minhyuk with as much attentiveness as he could muster. "I still need to pee. I didn't go earlier, because as soon as I saw him, I bolted. I ran away. Oh my god, I just left."

He was shaking now, his eyes very wide and his face hard to read. Concern was evident in Wonho's voice when he tried to calm him down, brushing away his bangs, peering into his eyes, asking over and over again what was he saying? What happened? Hyungwon was looking all over, his head turning every which way, looking for… What? What was Minhyuk saying?

He spotted it at the same time turned and sank to the floor, pointing and his thin body trembling uncontrollably. A boy, with dark pink hair and very pale skin. Sprawled onto a pile of garbage as if he had been thrown there. Wonho and Hyungwon took a few steps toward where Minhyuk was pointing. It took Hyungwon a minute to recognize him in his drunken state, but he got it eventually. Narrow eyes and a soft face. The bouncer. Joohoney, Minhyuk had called him.

Wonho recognized the face first, and quickly checked for a pulse, for breathing, for signs of life. Hyungwon stepped on something that shattered under him. He looked down and saw a syringe, now broken in two.

"No track marks," Wonho muttered upon inspecting the boy's arms and shook his head at Hyungwon. "Damn it, damn it, damn it all to hell."

"We should bring him to the hospital?" Hyungwon said uncertainly.

"No, No. He's going to come off his high soon. He isn't dying." Wonho raised his voice at Minhyuk, who was still on his knees and hunched over, and at Changkyun, who was squatting next to him and had his arms around the crying boy. "He's not dying!"

Minhyuk responded with a choked sob. "We have to… take care of him…"

Wonho looked to Hyungwon for help. Together they hoisted the boy up and wrapped his arms around their shoulders. The boy stirred, his head rolling and his feet automatically trying to find purchase on the ground. He didn't do much in terms of walking though, as they tugged him along. Minhyuk got up and followed closely behind them, whispering, " _Jooheon, oh Jooheon."_

They brought him back to Wonho's place, Wonho driving despite the fact he had at least half a bottle of soju in his body. Minhyuk picked the lock again even though Wonho had his keys in his back pocket, and they hauled Jooheon inside and laid him on the couch. The boy's eyes were closed, and he grunted and rolled over on his side. Minhyuk fretted, bounding all over the house, finding a blanket, throwing it over both Jooheon and Hyungwon, who was kneeling by the couch. Hyungwon pulled the blanket off his head and tucked it around the other boy.

"Open your eyes Jooheon," Minhyuk pleaded, sitting at Jooheon's feet. Changkyun stood a little bit behind Wonho, his head bowed. He might have fallen asleep standing up. Wonho sighed.

"I need to stop taking strangers into my house," he muttered to himself. Hyungwon felt eyes on the back of his head. "Incapacitated strangers."

Minhyuk looked at Wonho with watery eyes and a pout. "Is he going to wake up?"

Hyungwon chimed in before Wonho could even open his mouth. "He's going to wake up. Don't worry."

Minhyuk sniffed, turning to look at Jooheon's face again. The pink-haired boy grunted, shifting again. "Ugh."

"Open your eyes Jooheon," Minhyuk said again, his voice now eager and hopeful.

"Hyukkie? Oh, that was definitely not ecstasy. Ow. My head."

Jooheon sat up painfully. Wonho stepped closer, his head tilted in curiosity. "Are your eyes open?"

"Shut up," Jooheon groaned. His eyebrows were furrowed in discomfort. "Where am I?"

"You're on my couch." Jooheon looked down at the couch then up at Minhyuk.

"I passed out?"

Minhyuk sniffed. The initial worry was fading and was being rapidly replaced by Minhyuk's unique pissed-offness. "I was _so_ scared. What the hell were you doing? Sleeping on a pile of trash is so unhygienic; you could catch a disease that eats your flesh or something. How- can- you- be- so- stupid- taking- what? Ecstacy? Mushrooms? Fucking sleeping pills? I swear to _god_ Joo- "

He was smacking Jooheon with open palms. Jooheon weakly fended him off, apologizing again and again. "I don't know what I took? Someone offered after my shift ended and I was a tad drunk so-"

Minhyuk's nose was all scrunched up, something Hyungwon found both funny and cute. Except the look in Minhyuk's eyes was a bit frightening. He noticed Wonho was watching him and raised a questioning eyebrow. Wonho quietly tugged Hyungwon back, sneaking into the bedroom while two were bickering and probably giving themselves migraines considering their inebriated states. Hyungwon thought he heard a quiet snore when he passed by Changkyun. The scene disappeared when Wonho slowly closed the bedroom door behind them with a finger to his lips, as if Minhyuk wouldn't notice they had left if they were quiet enough. They threw off their skimpy clothes, stained with sweat and alcohol and dirt. Wonho threw a set of pajamas at Hyungwon and crawled into bed in his boxers. Hyungwon didn't bother with the shirt and followed Wonho under the heavy comforters with baggy flannel pajama pants. Only Wonho's gelled hair stuck out from under the covers. Hyungwon was already half asleep by the time he realized he hadn't taken out his contact lenses. He forgot about wearing his retainer altogether. The two fell asleep with the lights still on, deaf to the sounds of the two squabbling in the living room.

 **a/n**

Hello monbebes. Did you like it? I liked it :')


	5. Chapter 5

It was well past two in the afternoon before Wonho so much as turned over in bed. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking blearily into the darkness at the paint peeling from his ceiling, his shoulder brushing against Hyungwon's back. Wonho wanted to go back to sleep so he wouldn't have to think about how Changkyun probably vomited into the kitchen sink or something last night. As he lay there, slowly getting the feel of his hangover, he caught a whiff of the events of last night, or early that morning if you wanted to get technical. Soju and sweat and dirt. He wanted to wash the sheets. The smell combined with his headache started to get annoying, but not unbearable. He decided to try to get up anyway. He rolled out of bed, his pulse pounding through his skull. There was a thin line of dried saliva stretching from his mouth to his ear. At this point probably the only thing that would make him feel better was a really cold shower.

He kicked off his boxers and stood in the shower for about four and a half minutes before remembering he had to turn the knob for the water to run. He scrubbed the filth from his skin and hair and stood there for another half an hour, slouching with his eyes staring vacantly at the wall and occasionally scratching his chest or butt. He only snapped out of his daydreaming when his body started to shiver under the cold water. Upon emerging from the bathroom with a towel over his head and a minty taste in his mouth, he pulled on clean jogging pants, checked to see if Hyungwon was still dead to the world, and ventured cautiously into the living room.

Everything looked almost normal for a second, with wintery sunlight filtering through the open window and dishes piling up in the kitchen sink and Kihyun purring under the dining table. That was before Wonho's rather sluggish hung over brain realized that Changkyun was sleeping in the window, leaning against the frame with one leg dangling outside while the other was still inside the house. Wonho then noticed that the air was very cold and that a fat, spherical bird no bigger than the size of his fist was perched between Changkyun's legs. He must have been freezing, wearing just that holey thin pink shirt. Wonho looked back at Kihyun, wondering why the cat hadn't been scratching at his bedroom door trying to find shelter from the cold, and saw that the cat was perched on Minhyuk and Jooheon's tangled bodies. Minhyuk wasn't wearing a shirt. It was tied around Jooheon's pink-haired head in a dopey imitation of a bandage, as if Minhyuk had taken it upon himself sometime during the night to care for Jooheon's migraine. Wonho wasn't worried about Minhuk getting cold since the kid generated enough body heat to keep a family of five warm for several winters. As he watched with an incredulous eyebrow raised, Kihyun stretched and nosed his way between the two bodies, indulging in the sweaty warmth. Minhyuk let go of the bottle he had been cuddling with to throw his arm over the cat, still half-asleep and mumbling incoherently. He looked a little gross from last night's events.

Their breathing was soft and even, and the bird now nestled in Changkyun's crotch chirped happily. Jooheon's head was buried under Kihyun's orange fur. Wonho almost didn't want to disturb the scene, but he dragged Changkyun to the couch after prodding the bird away and let him sprawl across the worn out seats, his arm hanging limply off the edge. He closed the window and went back to his bedroom and had a short wrestling match with Hyungwon for their comforter before he gave up and took one of his own jackets and threw it over Changkyun's sleeping form. Wonho mentally gave himself a pat on the back for performing his protective duties before going back to bed. He called up Shownu and wished him a Merry Christmas, trying his best not to sound hung over. The bossman sounded surprised. Wonho almost detected a hint of delight in the _Merry Christmas Wonho; say hello to the others for me._

To his surprise, he noticed Hyungwon's big eyes sleepily watching him talk on the phone with the rest of his face hidden with blankets. Wonho finished the call quickly, Shownu's clumsy goodbyes still squawking from the phone.

When he hung up, he scooted down under the covers until he was eye to eye with Hyungwon. He whispered a cheerful _Merry Christmas_. Hyungwon's eyes scrunched up as he smiled his first smile of the day. This was one of the few times when it hadn't been necessary to punch Hyungwon awake. The boy returned the sentiment and immediately regretted it because Wonho's eyes immediately began to water from the smell of alcohol and morning breath and nastiness that had resided in Hyungwon's mouth.

"Please brush your teeth." Hyungwon covered his mouth and looked a little embarrassed, and Wonho laughed.

"My mouth tastes like a stable," Hyungwon muttered through his hand. "I wish I was still asleep. What are the others doing?"

"Changkyun got to third base with Tweety and Minhyuk is half naked. Kihyun's the only member of this family having a good time at the moment."

"I didn't think Tweety would be Changkyun's type," Hyungwon mused without asking Wonho to clarify. "I mean I only just met him, but he seems like a peacock sort of guy you know? He'd like a bird with pizzazz."

Wonho snickered and pushed away Hyungwon playfully, telling him to take a shower. Hyungwon protested and tried to crawl back into bed, but Wonho fended him off with flailing legs and light smacks to the chest. Hyungwon stood with an annoyed expression for a second, his arms crossed over his bare chest and he shuddered slightly in the cool air. Then he went to the bathroom and Wonho heard the water begin to run.

They ended up squashed together at one end of the couch while Changkyun took up the rest of the space, snoring. Hyungwon had sent Wonho to his house for his own clean blankets while he stuffed Wonho's filthy sheets in the washing machine. Then they bundled up, clutching heavy mugs of chocolate while watching Christmas specials on the television while the sunlight streaming in through the window began to turn a rich orange. Changkyun woke up halfway through _The Nightmare Before Christmas_ and joined them in their huddle of blankets. Minhyuk and Jooheon followed suit around dinnertime, Minhyuk sitting on the floor with his back against the couch and Jooheon lying with his head in his lap, facing the television. He gave Minhyuk his shirt back, but Minhyuk refused to put it on properly and tied it around his shoulders.

Wonho liked this. The peace, the blaring television that was, to him, just background noise. All he felt was Hyungwon's body propped up against his own, he felt Changkyun's breathing through the layers of blankets that smelled strongly of Hyungwon, and he was happy despite the fact that his head pounded whenever he moved. Wonho even enjoyed Jooheon's presence, though they hadn't really known each other before last night. Jooheon made Minhyuk talk less and laugh more, which Wonho appreciated.

Minhyuk begged Wonho to order pizza, and he gave in easily. They were lucky the pizza place down the street was still open on Christmas day.


End file.
